Rachael
by Aelan Greenleaf
Summary: When two friends die, Trip is left with the responsibility of taking care of their young daughter. !!!!!!!Chapter 4 up!!!!!!
1. Default Chapter

Short story. Might write a sequel if feedback wants it.

She was asleep. Finally. Silently, he prayed a thankful prayer to God. He had never known that the toils and troubles of parenting could be so... difficult.

//You learn something new everyday...// he said, repeating the age-old phrase in his head. 

He gazed into the crib which was the bed for little Rachael. She slept peacefully, her gentle features at rest. He put his large hand in, rubbing her tiny one. She reached out in her sleep and tugged on it.

He felt a tremendous amount of love for this little girl. Her innocence called out to a part of him he had never known existed. 

He drew his hand out of the crib, gave one last look at her and went to sit on his own bed. He lay back, his head resting on the pillow and he looked up at the ceiling. 

All of his friends had told him how proud they were of him, for taking in Rachael as his own daughter. He just answered, "It's what They would have wanted."

They. His abbreviation for Rachael's dead parents. You see, he couldn't even say their names aloud for the pain they caused him. He realized that he couldn't go on forever not thinking of them, so he resolved to simply address them as They. All of his friends understood, after all, Rachael's parents had been his best friends. He was Rachael's godfather on top of that. But they silently worried for him, that he was scarred emotionally and mentally beyond repair. They were not afraid that he would mistreat Rachael, they were afraid that he would mistreat himself.

No matter. He ignored them, day by day. His life was now governed by a six month old girl. He lived for her, and the knowledge that his life had a point.

He got up from the bed and headed back over to the crib. He gazed down at her black hair, the oval eyes, the subtle Asiatic features. Rachael Anne Reed had a home with him now, and he would do his best to care for her.

For his sake. For Hoshi's sake. For Malcolm's sake. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ensign Alisa James watched quietly, laughing softly to herself as Trip slept. He had fallen asleep in his chair on the shuttlepod, his head falling to the side and soft snores escaping his slightly open mouth. He had insisted on staying awake until they got back to Enterprise, but obviously that plan hadn't worked.

She checked the sensors. They were almost to Enterprise. "Hey Trip!" she said, shaking him slightly.

"Hngh..." he muttered, blinking and yawning. He streched his arms out and sat up. "Where are we?" he said groggily

"Almost to Enterprise." said Alisa, a smile on her face.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" said Trip.

"Well, you looked so cute asleep, drool and all..." she said teasingly.

Trip rubbed at the side of his mouth.

Alisa laughed. "I was just kidding!"

Trip gave her a meanacing look, then smiled. "You're as bad as me!"

The comm interrupted them, beeping up from the console.

"We're cleared for docking." said Alisa.

"Taking us in..."

************

Trip popped open the hatch to the shuttlepod, and stepped out onto the bay's floor, only to be struck by a flash of light.

"Ooof!" Trip's breath wheezed out of him as a small girl attached herself to his legs. 

"Hi Dad!" said Rachael brightly when she finally let go.

"Hey!" he said, picking her up. "How's my angel?" he asked.

"Good! Uncle Travis showed me how to drive the ship!"

"Travis..." Trip started, staring at the ensign, who was standing a few feet away.

Travis suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Uh, well, I didn't let her drive the ship per say..."

Captain Archer, standing beside Travis, just chuckled to himself. He then turned his attention to Alisa and Trip. "Did you guys get the deuterirum?"

"Yep." said Trip, gesturing with his free arm to the shuttlepod. "They're in there. I tell you, without Alisa's help, I wouldn't have figured out what the hell they were saying!"

Alisa blushed at the praise. She had taken over as linguistics officer when Hoshi had passed away. She was doing an awesome job at it, but no one could ever replace Hoshi's talent.

"It wasn't all that hard once you got the basic grammar." she said, in answer to Trip's comments.

"Well." said Archer, speaking to both Alisa and Trip, "I bet you both are tired. I'll let you guys get some rest and debrief you in the morning."

"Thanks Cap'n." Trip said to his friend. He leaned down to pick up his bag then headed down to his quarters, Rachael talking all the way.

*****************

Not for the first time, Trip watched Rachael sleep. Her light brown hair contrasted with her slight Asiatic features. She was a very beautiful child.

Trip was dreading the day that he would have to tell her why she looked so different from him. He had blond hair instead of brown, blue eyes instead of brown and a fair skin color to her darkish one.

It was not to say he didn't love her; it was exactly the opposite. Trip loved the way she looked, like her mother and father at the same time. It comforted him to know that parts of Malcolm and Hoshi would always be with him.

He reached down to her bed, and pulled her blankets up to her chin. Then he kissed her lightly on the cheek, and headed off to his bed, where sleep eagerly awaited him.


	3. Chapter 3

She had cried. 

Tears had flowed from her beautiful eyes when she had heard they were leaving. "Why, Dad, why?!" she had asked, her young face contorted with sadness. 

"Starfleet's ordered us back. There's nothing we can do about it." he had replied, taking his daughter into his arms and holding her. 

Now, as they landed on Earth, Trip was comforted by the familiar sight of home. 

He stepped off of the shuttlepod, and waited for Rachael. She stepped off the ship, and stared at everything around her with a child's innocence. 

"Wow." she said, her eyes wide open. 

Trip laughed. "Yeah." 

He picked up their bags and headed to an awaiting hover-cab. 

They got into the hover-cab, and rode in silence, both looking outside to the city around them. 

San Fransisco had changed. Once-great buildings were gone since Trip had seen them last, replaced with more advanced and modern ones. 

//Nine years is a long time.// he thought to himself.

And then they were there. Their new home, an apartment near the bay. Humongous compared to their cramped quarters on Enterprise.

Trip sighed. Enterprise. No longer the pride and joy of the fleet; now it was just an old, worn out ship, sitting in dry-dock, waiting to become a museum.

He paid the cabbie and got out. Once again picking up their bags, he lead Rachael inside. They took the elevator up, and found their apartment, 6A. Rachael was first inside, and he sound heard a squeak of delight.

"There's so much space!" she cried, prancing about.

Trip couldn't help but laugh. He'd almost forgotten that Rachael had never lived on a planet before.

"C'mon, Rach." he said, "Let's get unpacking."

***************

He stood on the balcony, facing the bay. The sea breeze swept through his hair and wrinkling his clothes. He didn't mind.

He breathed in deep and felt the salt air in his lungs. It was the first time in a while that he wasn't breathing bottled air. It felt good.

He took a sip from the drink in his hand. Rum and coke. Hadn't done that in a while either, drink alcohol. It wasn't actually allowed on board, and he was afraid for a while after Their deaths that he would develop a problem.

He smiled to himself. Tomorrow would be Rachael's first day at a real school. For Grade 1 she had learned from the database, and he taught her some Engineering stuff too. Not that she'd remember a lot of it, but he liked teaching her it anyways.

The night grew dark around him, and he decided to turn in. He locked all the doors, something he hadn't done in nine years, and headed to his own room. He fell onto his bed and let sleep overtake him.


	4. Chapter 4

The door slammed shut behind her.

Trip cringed when he heard it. He had just fixed the springs on it last week. 

Oh well. He got up off the couch, and headed over to the living room, where she usually did her homework after school.

"Rach?" he called out.

"In here." she mumbled.

He followed her voice to the living room, and found her sitting on the couch, her arms crossed and a look of anger on her face.

"What is it Rach?" Trip asked, sitting down beside her.

Rachael was silent a moment, then turned to face him. Her young features turned serious, and Trip knew that she wasn't just a little girl anymore.

"Dad," she started, "Am I really your daughter?"

Trip sucked in a deep breath of air. This was the question he had been fearing for fifteen years, hoping that it would never come.

"Look, Rach," he said, sliding across the couch and grasping her hand, "You know I love you, right?"

Rachael nodded.

"And I'd do anything for you."

Again, the girl nodded.

"I'm not your father." Trip said softly.

A tear silently streaked down his face as he spoke. He looked down, afraid to face the judgement of his daughter.

"Dad," Rachael said, drawing Trip's attention back to her, "You'll always be my father to me. Always." To prove her point, she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

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